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Big Jake (1971)

BIG JAKEPRODUCED BY MICHAEL WAYNE
DIRECTED BY GEORGE SHERMAN/ JOHN WAYNE (uncredited)
MUSIC BY ELMER BERNSTEIN
NATIONAL GENERAL/CINEMA CENTER

Photo with the courtesy of lasbugas

Information from IMDb

Plot Summary
The McCandles ranch is run over by a gang of cutthroats led by the evil John Fain.
hey kidnap little Jacob McCandles and hold him for a million dollar ransom.
There is only one man who is brave enough and smart enough to bring him back and that man is Big Jake
Written by Christopher D. Ryan

John Wayne is Big Jake McCandles, on the trail on bandits in this action drama that stretches from Texas to Mexico.
It's 1909, and the Old West is giving way to modern times. When the outlaw gang led bu vicious John Fain (Boone)
raids Jake's ranch and kidnaps his 8-year-old grandson, Jake's wife (Maureen O'Hara), whom he hasn't seen in 18 years,
sends for her husband to rescue the boy. While the law gives chase in rickety automobiles, Jake saddles up with an Indian scout,
a faithful dog, and a box of money. But paying ransom isn't Jake's idea of good old frontier justice.
Written by Robert Lynch

Trivia
70mm blow-up version released in Spain under the title "El Gran Jack".

Bobby Vinton played the middle brother, despite being four years older than Patrick Wayne.

This was to be the final film in which John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara would work together;
they had previously collaborated in Rio Grande (1950), The Quiet Man (1952), The Wings of Eagles (1957), and McLintock! (1963).

The ranch house used for the McCandles ranch is the same house used for the Chisum ranch in Chisum (1970),
a John Wayne western made a year earlier. Note the scenery around the ranch.

This was the first of only three John Wayne films (the others being Cahill (1973) and McQ (1974)
to receive AA certificates by the UK censor, meaning that they could only be seen by persons 14 and over.
All other Wayne movies were rated 'A' (PG) or under.

In 1971, owing to the success of this film, John Wayne was #1 at the US Box Office for the last time.

Director George Sherman was a friend of John Wayne dating back to their days in the 1930s making westerns at Republic Pictures
. By the time of this film, however, Sherman was aging and not in the best of health,
and had a difficult time shooting in the wilds of Mexico, where much of the movie was filmed.
On the days when Sherman was unable to shoot because of his health conditions,
Wayne took over direction, but when the film was completed he insisted that Sherman alone be credited as director.

Final film of veteran director George Sherman.

Goofs
* Continuity: Toward the beginning of the movie, the Texas Rangers and the Mc Candle's boys
are trying to get ahead of the kidnappers. When viewed from behind, the shadows are on the vehicle's right-hand side,
when the camera is in front, the shadows are on the left, even though the vehicles are traveling the same direction the entire time.

* Continuity: Big Jake is bucked off his horse and falls in a mud puddle. Later in the same scene his suit is clean.

* Continuity: James McCandles is thrown off his horse by Big Jake into a mud puddle. Later in the same scene he is clean.

* Continuity: During the kidnapping, Little Jake pokes at O'Brian with a pitchfork and knocks off O'Brian's hat,
but O'Brian has puncture wounds in his cheeks, much lower than the area where he was struck with the pitchfork.

* Continuity: Nine gang members ride to the ranch. One is killed. Seven ride away with "Little Jake".

* Continuity: When Michael is showing Jake his gas-powered gun both Sam and James jump into the river for safety.
Within minutes of leaving the river, the clothing worn by both of them is perfectly dry.

* Continuity: Throughout the movie, the Big Jake's dog changes its color many times.

Big Jake is a 1971 Western film, filmed on location in Durango, Mexico,
starring John Wayne, narrated by George Fenneman, and directed by George Sherman

Your fault. My fault. I'm gonna blow your head off!,

Part of the immortal lines from this great film.Duke was great in this film depicting the end of the gunslinger era,
and Richard Boone, was a brilliant villain.

Maureen, was her usual self.

Patrick and Ethan Wayne, did OK, although Patrick has come under
some criticism, over his acting, in the film.

Bobby Vinton, adding, a curiosity role.

Dog, was brilliant, and as mentioned in another thread,
met a nasty end, by a nasty man!!

On an historical note, the courtyard at the climax,
is the real one, as used by PANCHO VILLA, when he and his men
slaughtered 750 people!
I enjoyed this film, tremendously
With the addition of all the Ford/Wayne favourite stock company,
an enjoyable film.

Duke and Richard Boone at the premiere

User Review

Love the Duke!!
17 February 2005 | by rubinmail-one (United States)

First I have to say that I am a huge JW fan. In this film JW is his classic Kick A** self. There is some sentimental stuff in here, about the old man's relationship with his grown sons. Basically it is good old John Wayne Action. When the bad guys get the drop on him, all you can think is "Big mistake" This film is set in the early 1900s. There is an interesting parallel between the passing of the baton from one generation to the next (Jake and his grown sons) and the passing of technology. We see new fangled weapons and a motor car. (Naturally Jake rejects these)

Finally: You got to love the idea of Big Jake owning a dog named ..... DOG.

Best WishesKeithLondon- England

The post was edited 5 times, last by ethanedwards (Feb 4th 2017, 7:42pm).